Asian Games | No idea about Leander Paes’ arrival, claims Zeeshan Ali

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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With the Asian Games just three days away, Zeeshan Ali, the captain of the Indian tennis team for the Asian Games, has revealed that he has no clue on when Leander Paes will arrive at the in Jakarta. But Rohan Bopanna voiced his optimism ahead of this year’s Asian showpiece.

Paes, is no doubt one of the most established tennis stars that India has ever produced with 18 Grand Slams under his belt. Leander Paes has been a standout performer for India on the global stage but at 45, it’s safe to say that the Indian tennis star is in the last years of a glittering career. Paes last featured in the Asian Games back in 2006 but was included in the tennis team for this year’s showpiece under the leadership of coach and captain, Zeeshan Ali. But in a rather surprising turn of events, Ali has revealed that Paes has not reported in Palembang as of yet, which was a matter of concern.

"I have no idea of his arrival. Only Paes can tell you when he is coming. The last time I spoke to him he said he would play in Cincinnati and then come to Palembang. But he is not playing there also," Ali told PTI.

With veteran Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan expected to play together, Paes will be expected to partner an inexperienced Sumit Nagal or singles specialist Ramkumar Ramanathan. The Padma Shri awardee already has five gold medals to his name in the event, the first of which came from the Hiroshima edition in 1994.

Meanwhile, Bopanna, who will play in the Asian tournament after a gap of 10 years, admitted that he was looking forward to this year’s games where India will be favorites to bag gold. The 38-year old arrived with Sharan and the women's squad which included debutants Ankita Raina and Karman Kaur Thandi along with Prarthana Thombare, who won a bronze alongside Sania Mirza in Incheon four years ago.

"It won't be the first time I will be coming back from an injury. I would not have been here if I wasn't hundred percent fit. I would have played earlier also but the 10-day schedule did not allow me to do that. Now it is a week-long thing which means I only miss one tournament and not two," said the 38-year-old.

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